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Define Discretionary Dividends

Written by: Christopher Faille

Written on: May 13, 2017

hand and pda on table at meeting image by Dmitry Goygel-Sokol from Fotolia.com

Discretionary dividends are those paid, not by contractual obligation, but at the discretion of the issuer of the underlying instruments. Where there are hybrid securities--instruments with some equity and some debt features--the presence of discretion in the issuance of dividends is critical to classification.

Identification

Mapletree Investments Pte Ltd., a real estate company in Singapore, explained its accounting policies in the notes to its financial statement for the year ending March 31, 2005. It said, "Ordinary shares and redeemable preference shares with discretionary dividends are classified as equity. Preference shares which carry non-discretionary dividend obligations are classified as liabilities."

The general distinction implied in those words holds for systems of corporate law around the world.

Distinct Meaning

The term has a distinct additional meaning in Canada, where it refers to the discretionary decision of a corporation to pay dividends to one class of stock rather than another. Couples often split their disparate incomes using discretionary dividends issued by a family company.

Supreme Court of Canada

In 1998, the Supreme Court of Canada considered and rejected a challenge to this practice brought by the tax authorities. "[T]axpayers are entitled to arrange their affairs for the sole purpose of achieving a favorable position regarding taxation," the court said.

Christopher Faille is a finance journalist who has been writing since 1986. He has written for HedgeWorld and The Federal Lawyer and is the author of books including "The Decline and Fall of the Supreme Court." Faille received his Juris Doctor from Western New England College.

Photo Credits

hand and pda on table at meeting image by Dmitry Goygel-Sokol from Fotolia.com